It's a good time to fish - near and off shore

Friday

Dec 12, 2008 at 10:46 AM

The winter is upon Nassau County. If the weather is good this weekend, you will have a bunch of options as to what species to target on your fishing trip - from awesome fishing in deep holes in the river, around bridges, other structures and the jetties to your favorite offshore reef or wreck.Offshore anglers can expect the reefs to hold plenty of seabass, some fair grouper and snapper, but you will have to contend with our local regulations and expect to release many undersized grouper and snapper.Jeff Nunez, fishing with friends on Dec. 5, reports releasing more than 80 undersized grouper and snapper. This team caught six keeper snapper and a nice bucket of legal-sized seabass. They also released a 42-inch redfish. They were glad they brought along plenty of squid and Boston mackerel.You do not have to travel far; FA, FC, RL, HH and BA are a few of the local spots where good bottomfishing occurs this time of year. The big-game anglers who have the ability to run to the deeper water will catch beeliners, bigger seabass and plenty of grouper and snapper. I would begin my trip at the 40-mile bottoms in about 90 to 110 feet of water. Reports have been coming in this week of the wahoo bite turning on at the break.Dick Butler and Don Baker, fishing the break Dec. 4 aboard the Awesome, reported a catch of two sailfish hook-ups in 200 feet of water with one measuring at 61/2 feet before release. They also hooked a 65-pound and a 35-pound wahoo in 250 to 270 feet of water. All were caught on Islanders.David Myers, fishing with friends at the break on Dec. 5, reported a nice catch of blackfin tuna, but according to the radio traffic, the wahoo bite was to the south off of St. Augustine. Keep an eye on the weather, pick your day and give winter wahoo fishing a try, as it can have tremendous action this time of year.Backwater fishing remains excellent, with trout, reds, puppy drum and sheepshead. This would be a good time to float a live shrimp around your favorite structure such as oyster bars or the mouth of your favorite creek. Another method is to hook a live shrimp through the tail on a jighead and fish right on the bottom for reds and puppy drum. Plenty of sheepshead will be found around docks, pilings and any other structure along the Intracoastal. Fiddler crabs, mussels, small live shrimp or clams work well for sheepshead this time of year. The last couple hours of the outgoing tide and the first hour of the incoming tide is best for Intracoastal sheepshead fishing.I absolutely love lure fishing this time of year. Working your favorite area with a jig rigged with a plastic tail will be deadly. You should slow your retrieve due to the colder water temperatures. Bass Assasins, Contenders, Gotcha's and Berkley Gulp are a few of the hot plastics to use this time of year. Christmas, white, electric chicken, clear with a silver flake are the colors that have been working well this past week.The jetty fishing remains good with plenty of sheepshead, puppy drum, reds and trout being caught. Live shrimp on a float rig is a deadly tactic this time of year. I prefer to fish just off the bottom with my float rig, especially when the current slows down. The low tide should produce sheepshead when anchored close to rocks, but be very careful and mindful of waves and boat traffic; you don't want to be pushed up onto the rocks. Fishing with fresh shrimp or crabs will work great when fished on the bottom for puppy drum and reds.The finger jetties at Fort Clinch State Park also have been producing sheepshead for the bank-bound angler. Whiting, trout and reds can also be caught from the bank of Fort Clinch this time of year.The George Crady State fishing pier continues to produce whiting, sheepshead, trout and puppy drum. The last few hours of the outgoing tide has been the time to float a live shrimp from the pier. You should bring along at least two rods, one for float fishing and one for keeping a fresh shrimp on the bottom for reds and puppy drum. Go out and give the bridge a try; you may be surprised with a nice, legal redfish or puppy drum at the end of your hook.Until next week. - Capt. JimCapt. Jim Johnson is owner of Amelia Island Bait and Tackle, Nassau Sound Bait & Tackle and Rappi Charters, on which he spends many days fishing around Amelia Island and offshore. To submit information about and photos of recent catches, stop by his shop at 1925 14th St., call 277-0775, or e-mail captjim@gct21.net.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.